Dentists of Tomorrow 2025

Dentists of Tomorrow 2025: An Analysis of the Results of the ADEA 2025 Survey of U.S. Dental School Seniors Summary Report

ADEA Education Research Series | Issue 10 | January 2026

Emilia C. Istrate, Ph.D., M.A.I.S.; Asmita Samanta, M.S.; Carolyn L. Booker, Ph.D.; Karen P. West, D.M.D., M.P.H.

This report presents key findings from the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Survey of Dental School Seniors, Class of 2025 (hereafter referred to as “the ADEA 2025 Predoc Survey”). The survey is part of the broader “ADEA Predoctoral Senior Survey” series. The analysis explores the educational and professional trajectory of U.S. dental school seniors in the Class of 2025, including their motivations for pursuing dentistry, perceptions of their dental school experience, post-graduation plans and financial investment in their careers. Where possible, results are compared with those from the 2021 survey cohort.

A distinctive feature of the 2025 survey is the inclusion of data on parental education, enabling an examination of first-generation college students (hereafter “first-gen college students”). For this report, first-gen college students are defined according to the Higher Education Act of 1965 and its 1998 amendments:

Among the students who responded to the survey, 639 (19%) were first-gen college students.

The survey was administered to seniors at all the 67 U.S. dental schools with a graduating class between March 4 and June 18, 2025. 3,325 responded, yielding a 48% response rate—an increase from 44% in 2021. Among the students who responded to the survey, 639 (19%) were first-gen college students. Although the sample is not fully representative of the national senior dental student population, responses were weighted to reflect the distribution of students across U.S. Census regions and institutional types (see Table A1 in the Methodological Appendix).

The typical 2025 respondent self-identified as female, 28 years old, part of Generation Z and from the South or West (see Table A2). Compared to 2021, the 2025 cohort had a higher proportion of women and Gen Z respondents, while the 2021 cohort was more evenly split by gender and predominantly Millennial. First-gen college student respondents in 2025 were most likely to be female, 28 years old and from the South.

Key findings of this analysis include:

Finding 1: More 2025 seniors chose dentistry later in their academic careers than their 2021 counterparts.

About 30% of respondents in the Class of 2025 said they decided to become dentists during the last two years of college or afterward, up from 26% in 2021. Among 2025 first-gen college students, the share was slightly higher at 32%, but not statistically significant.

The largest group of 2025 respondents still made the decision before starting college, but that proportion is lower than in 2021. Whether this marks the start of a new trend remains unclear (see Figure 1).

32% of the first-gen senior college students responding to the ADEA 2025 Predoc Survey decided to become a dentist in the last two years of college or afterwards.

Cost and admission availability are now the top reasons for choosing a dental school. In 2025, overall and first-gen college student respondents most often cited lower cost of attendance and being admitted only to that school as their primary reasons for enrollment. In 2021, cost and proximity to family and friends held the top spots. Curriculum and location declined in importance between 2021 and 2025, while specific opportunities—such as clinical procedures, technology access or working with certain faculty—gained significance. A new factor introduced in 2025—having family or friends who attended the school—ranked as high as curriculum as an influence.

Shadowing a dentist and personal dental experience were the most frequently cited influences on pursuing dentistry in 2025. Both overall and first-gen respondents ranked these as top influences, with first-gen college students citing them even more frequently; half reported these as their main reasons for entering the profession. Seeing oneself reflected in the field also matters: Having a family member or friend who is a dentist was the third most cited influence overall and ranked in the top five for first-gen respondents. In 2021, when shadowing was not an option in the ADEA Predoctoral Senior Survey, respondents placed greater weight on personal dental experience, family ties and recruitment activities.

Service to others continued to be the leading motivation for becoming an oral health professional. Respondents in 2025, similar to those in 2021, most often cited the desire to serve others as reason to become a dentist. Enjoying hands-on work and the artistic, creative and aesthetic aspects of dentistry were also prominent motivators—even more so than in 2021. By contrast, control over work schedule and opportunities for self-employment were cited less often in 2025 than in 2021. In 2025, career variety and salary expectations gained importance. First-gen respondents largely mirrored overall trends but were nearly 50% more likely to cite serving vulnerable and low-income populations as a key motivator.

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Finding 2: Most 2025 seniors reported a high level of readiness to enter the profession.

In 2025, 92% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with statements about their readiness to practice (see Figure 2). A majority also reported receiving appropriate or above-appropriate levels of clinical experience in 13 of the 14 areas presented in the ADEA Predoctoral Senior Survey. For more detail, check the dashboards on preparedness to practice of predoctoral students in the ADEA Data Portal, available to ADEA members at dataportal.adea.org.

78% of the 2025 respondents stated they gained adequate and/or above adequate levels of clinical experience during dental school in at least one of 14 areas of education.

In 2025, 92% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they are ready to practice (see Figure 2). The survey asked students to rate their agreement with 11 statements covering essential abilities for entering dental practice (see Table A3 in the Methodological Appendix).

Most respondents—96% to 98%—felt most prepared in six areas:

• Understanding the ethical and professional values expected of the profession,
• Communicating effectively with patients and coworkers,
• Applying basic skills in clinical decision-making,
• Meeting continuing education requirements as practitioners,
• Working with diverse staff and patients and
• Understanding common conditions and their management.

Only one area fell below 80% agreement: 62% said they feel prepared to manage a successful business. Seniors feel confident about clinical and professional skills but less prepared for business management.

The ADEA 2025 Predoc Survey collects graduating senior students’ subjective assessment of the level of clinical experience they gained during their predoctoral studies in 14 clinical areas. (For more detail, check the dashboards on preparedness to practice of predoctoral senior students in the ADEA Data Portal, available to ADEA members at dataportal.adea.org).² 2025 respondents reported gaining adequate clinical experience overall but wanted more training in restoration of implants, endodontic therapy and surgical placement of implants. On average, 78% said they gained adequate or above-adequate experience in at least one of the 14 clinical areas examined in the ADEA 2025 Predoc Survey.³ Preventive care, examination and diagnosis and direct restorations ranked highest, with 95% to 97% of respondents saying they received adequate clinical experience during their predoctoral studies. Restoration of implants, endodontic therapy and surgical placement of implants ranked lowest. Notably, 69% said they would have preferred gaining more experience in surgical implant placement during dental school.

ADEA 2025 Predoc Survey asks graduating senior students’ subjective assessments of their confidence level in 15 clinical areas assessed by the survey. (For more detail, check the dashboards on preparedness to practice of predoctoral senior students in the ADEA Data Portal, available to ADEA members at dataportal.adea.org).⁴ In 2025, 85% of respondents said they feel moderately or highly confident in their abilities in at least one of the 15 clinical areas assessed.⁵ Confidence exceeded 90% in six areas:

• Restoration of teeth;
• The ability to perform health promotion and disease prevention, including caries management;
• Recognizing the complexity of patient treatment and identifying when a referral is indicated;
• Patient assessment, diagnosis, comprehensive treatment planning, prognosis and informed consent;
• Evaluation of the outcomes of treatment, recall strategies and prognosis; and
• Local anesthesia and pain and anxiety control, including consideration of the impact of prescribing practices and substance use disorder.

Respondents expressed the lowest confidence in managing malocclusion and space management (65% stated being moderately or highly confident in their abilities gained in this area) and performing hard and soft tissue surgery (62% felt moderately or highly confident in their abilities).

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Finding 3: Interest in practicing as a dentist in government and nonprofit is rising, while plans to join a private practice upon graduation remained dominant.

In 2025, 8% of respondents said they plan to work for a government agency or nonprofit, up from 6% in 2021. Among first-gen college students, the share was 10%. Among those planning to practice in a government or nonprofit setting, interest in Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) grew significantly: 61% of 2025 respondents planning to work in government or nonprofit chose FQHCs, compared with 47% in 2021. For first-gen college students, the figure was 67% in 2025. Interest in practicing in nonprofit clinics also increased slightly. Serving in the U.S. armed forces continued to decline, dropping from 20% in 2021 to 14% in 2025. Only 6% of first-gen college students in this category planned to practice dentistry in U.S. armed forces.

35% of the 2025 first-gen respondents who planned to go into private practice immediately upon graduation intended to join a DSO-affiliated practice.

Private practice remained the top choice for seniors. The percentage of 2025 respondents planning to enter private practice stayed steady compared with 2021 (see Figure 3) and 47% of first-gen college students planned to do so. Most seniors cited a desire to start practicing and financial concerns as their main motivators. Most 2025 respondents planning to join private practices expected to start as associates (77% vs. 73%).

Dental service organizations (DSOs) continued to attract graduates. Among seniors planning to enter private practice immediately, 32% said they intend to join a DSO, up from 28% in 2021. For first-gen college students, the share was 35%. However, more respondents planned to join non-DSO affiliated practices in 2025 (50%) than in 2021 (44%). Seniors expressed less uncertainty about whether they prefer DSO-affiliated or independent practices compared with four years ago.

Interest in postgraduate education experienced a slight decline from 2021. In 2025, 37% of respondents said they plan to continue their oral health education immediately after graduation, compared with 39% in 2021—a difference that is not statistically significant (see Figure 3). Among first-gen college students, 35% reported plans to pursue postgraduate dental education. Nearly two-thirds (65%) of respondents who chose this path cited the need for additional education and training as their main motivator.

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Finding 4: General dentistry remained the top choice for students continuing their dental education, but interest in specialties was strong.

Among respondents planning to continue their education in 2025, 65% selected general dentistry programs—higher than 58% in 2021. Pediatric dentistry, orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics and oral and maxillofacial surgery ranked as the most popular specialty programs for those applying to postgraduate education.

The ADEA 2021 Predoc Survey allowed respondents to indicate only three broad categories—general dentistry programs, approved specialties and specialties not recognized by the National Commission on Recognition of Dental Specialties and Certifying Boards (NCRDSCB). In contrast, the 2025 survey enabled respondents to select from 20 types of postgraduate education programs and rank their preferences.

63% of the ADEA 2025 Predoc Survey participants continuing their education indicated applying to NCRDSCB-recognized advanced dental education specialties, more than their 2021 counterparts (45%).

More seniors applied to specialty programs in 2025 than in 2021. While general dentistry programs remained the most popular, interest in both NCRDSCB-recognized and non-recognized specialties increased. In 2025, 63% of respondents who applied to postgraduate education submitted applications to one of the 12 NCRDSCB-recognized specialties, compared with 45% in 2021. Applications to non-recognized specialties doubled, reaching 3%, though they remain low. Fewer than 1% of respondents in either year pursued education outside dentistry.

The 2025 survey allowed respondents to select from 20 different types of advanced education programs and rank their choices—an option that was not available in the 2021 edition. General practice residency (GPR) was the most frequently applied program and the top first-choice selection among seniors continuing their education. More than a third (40%) applied to GPR programs, and 33% listed GPR as their first choice (See Figure 4). Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) ranked second, with 25% selecting it. Among specialties, pediatric dentistry, orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics and oral and maxillofacial surgery drew the most interest and were most often chosen as first-choice programs. Orofacial pain and dental public health attracted the least interest. Some respondents applied to non-recognized specialties, such as operative/restorative dentistry, geriatric dentistry, oral biology and biomaterials. Preventive dentistry received no first-choice selections.

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Finding 5: Average education debt was $297,800 for students graduating with debt and responding to the ADEA 2025 Predoc Survey, up 2% from 2021—not adjusted for inflation.

Education debt is a combination of the dental school debt the senior students graduate with from dental school (the loans contracted to finance partially or all the cost of the predoctoral degree) and their predental education debt, which is the outstanding education debt the senior students had when they entered dental school. Dental school loans accounted for the vast majority of the total in 2025—94%—while predental education debt represented 6% for those graduating with any debt. Annual average education debt amounts varied between 2021 and 2025, due to differences in cohorts and response rates to the debt question (see Figure 5).

There was a 2% increase of the average education debt for indebted graduating students responding to ADEA 2025 Predoc Survey relative to their 2021 counterparts, not adjusted for inflation.

The share of graduates with dental school loans decreased between 2021 and 2025. The percentage graduating with dental school debt declined from 81% to 79%. When it comes to overall education debt, the percentage did not change in a statistically significant manner: 82% of respondents graduated with education debt in 2025, compared with 83% in 2021.

Students financed most of their education through loans. On average, respondents covered 65% of their dental education costs with debt. They relied on family and friends for 17%, grants and scholarships for 12%, savings for 4%, part-time employment for 1.2% and other sources for 0.6%. This pattern mirrors 2021.

Federal loans remained the primary financing source. Among respondents with dental school debt, 82% used federal direct unsubsidized loans—a higher rate than in 2021. Seventy-six percent took federal direct Grad PLUS loans, up from 73% in 2021. Health Professions Student Loans declined from 17% in 2021 to 13% in 2025. Students also reported using private loans, personal loans from family, school-based loans and state loan programs.

Dental school grants continued to dominate grants and scholarships. Sixty-nine percent of respondents who received grants or scholarships reported receiving a dental school grant, down from 72% in 2021, but not a statistically significant decline. Other common sources included state government grants (16%), National Health Service Corps scholarships (14%), U.S. armed forces scholarships (12%) and scholarships for disadvantaged students (11%). Indian Health Service scholarships remained the least cited but grew to 4% in 2025.

Conclusions

In the 2024-25 academic year, a new generation of dentists graduated from 67 accredited U.S. dental schools, including Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso Woody L. Hunt School of Dental Medicine, which graduated its inaugural class in 2025. Responses to the ADEA 2025 Predoc Survey reveal several shifts compared with 2021.

More students reported deciding to pursue dentistry during the last two years of college or later. Interest in practicing in a government or nonprofit setting grew. Among those applying to postgraduate programs, more applied to NCRDSCB-recognized specialties than four years earlier. Some trends remained steady: Most students still chose dentistry before college and seniors expressed strong confidence in their readiness to practice. Career choices after graduation largely mirrored 2021, except for the increase in plans to work in public settings. General dentistry programs continued to dominate as a choice among those pursuing advanced education. The percentage of graduates with education debt stayed consistent between 2021 and 2025.

U.S. dental schools continued to play a vital role in advancing oral health by preparing the next generation of dental professionals and, in the process, delivering essential care to communities through their clinics.

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Methodological Appendix

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Notes

[1] Higher Education Act of 1965, 1998 Higher Education Act Amendments, Subpart 2—Federal Early Outreach and Student Services Programs, Chapter 1—Federal Trio Programs SEC. 402A. 20 U.S.C. 1070a–11, (f)(1)

[2] The 14 clinical areas included in the ADEA Predoctoral Senior Survey for assessment of senior students’ perception of adequacy of clinical experience are Restorative - Direct Restorations, Extraction, Geriatric Dentistry, Fixed Prostheses, Removable Prostheses, Treatment Planning, Preventive, Examination and Diagnosis, Pediatric Dental Care, Periodontal Therapy, Dentistry for Individuals with Special Needs, Endodontic Therapy, Restoration of Implant and Surgical Placement of Implant.

[3] The 14 clinical areas included in the ADEA Predoctoral Senior Survey for assessment of senior students’ perception of adequacy of clinical experience are Restorative - Direct Restorations, Extraction, Geriatric Dentistry, Fixed Prostheses, Removable Prostheses, Treatment Planning, Preventive, Examination and Diagnosis, Pediatric Dental Care, Periodontal Therapy, Dentistry for Individuals with Special Needs, Endodontic Therapy, Restoration of Implant and Surgical Placement of Implant.

[4] The 15 clinical areas included in the ADEA Predoctoral Senior Survey for assessment of senior students’ confidence in their skills are Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Including Caries Management; Restoration of Teeth; Recognizing the Complexity of Patient Treatment and Identifying When Referral Is Indicated; Patient Assessment, Diagnosis, Comprehensive Treatment Planning, Prognosis and Informed Consent; Local Anesthesia and Pain and Anxiety Control, Including Consideration of the Impact of Prescribing Practices and Substance Abuse Disorder; Evaluation of the Outcomes of Treatment, Recall Strategies and Prognosis; Periodontal Therapy; Screening and Risk Assessment for Head and Neck Cancer; Communicating and Managing Dental Laboratory Procedures in Support of Patient Care; Replacement of Teeth, Including Fixed, Removable and Dental Implant Prosthodontic Therapies; Dental Emergencies; Pulpal Therapy; Oral Mucosal and Osseous Disorders; Hard and Soft Tissue Surgery; and Malocclusion and Space Management.

[5] The 15 clinical areas included in the ADEA Predoctoral Senior Survey for assessment of senior students’ confidence in their skills are Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Including Caries Management; Restoration of Teeth; Recognizing the Complexity of Patient Treatment and Identifying When Referral Is Indicated; Patient Assessment, Diagnosis, Comprehensive Treatment Planning, Prognosis and Informed Consent; Local Anesthesia and Pain and Anxiety Control, Including Consideration of the Impact of Prescribing Practices and Substance Abuse Disorder; Evaluation of the Outcomes of Treatment, Recall Strategies and Prognosis; Periodontal Therapy; Screening and Risk Assessment for Head and Neck Cancer; Communicating and Managing Dental Laboratory Procedures in Support of Patient Care; Replacement of Teeth, Including Fixed, Removable and Dental Implant Prosthodontic Therapies; Dental Emergencies; Pulpal Therapy; Oral Mucosal and Osseous Disorders; Hard and Soft Tissue Surgery; and Malocclusion and Space Management.

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